Winter Blues
by LillyScotty
Summary: Elisa's just died, and Scotty's having a hard time dealing with everything. Who's there to help him get through?
1. Rescue Me

**Title: **Winter Blues**  
**

**Summary:** Elisa's just died, and Scotty's having a hard time dealing with everything. Who's there to help him get through?

**Disclaimer:** Nope, not mine. But, I do have a few scripts I get my inspiration from :)

**Author's Note: **No, Christina is not in this story. Let's just pretend she never showed up.

**

* * *

Chapter 1: **Rescue Me

* * *

Lilly pulled up in front of her house, turning off her ignition. She slumped back in driver's seat, sighing loudly.

The day had been a long, exhausting one. The case she working on was leading nowhere, and she went throughout the chilly day following broken leads. She was tired, and sore.

She leant over to the seat beside her, grabbing her briefcase, and her scarf. As she got out of her car, and shut the door beside her, she noticed a man sitting on her doorstep.

Lilly wrapped the scarf tightly around her neck, making her way to her door.

She was a few metres away from her door when her eyes widened in confusion. It was Scotty.

His eyes were closed, his body leaning against the door. He wore a pair of sweat pants, a t-shirt, and a leather jacket. Beside him were a small suitcase, and a box.

"Valens?"

Scotty's eyes flashed open as he tried to straighten himself up. "Lil."

Lilly was unsure whether he had been drinking, his eyes bloodshot and dark. "You okay?"

Scotty winced as he sat up, his hand moving to his head. "Yeah."

She placed her briefcase beside his suitcase, and then pushed everything to the side. She took a seat behind him, placing her hands on her thighs and staring at the path in front of her.

"What are you doing here?"

Scotty glanced over at his blonde partner, shrugging slightly. "Don' know."

Lilly bit her lip, not wanting to push Scotty. Elisa had only died a few weeks ago. Stillman had ordered Scotty to take a few weeks off, to recover. Clearly, it wasn't work.

"You haven't called," he whispered, his hands falling to his lap.

"I thought I'd give you time, you know? Just let you deal with it in your own way."

Scotty smiled weakly, touched at the kindness in her heart. "I can't sleep."

Lilly slowly slithered her hand to his, her thumb rubbing the palm of his right hand. "You seeing anyone?"

Scotty looked up, eying her with confusion. "What?"

"Someone to talk to. Maybe a psychiatrist?"

Scotty's eyes darkened further as he pulled his hand out of her reach. "No."

"You think, maybe you should?"

"No."

Lilly couldn't help but smile at his stubbornness, something she missed deeply. "What about a friend? Someone just to talk to when you need it."

Scotty took a deep breath, and then let out a loud sigh. "That's why I'm here, I guess."

Lilly glanced over at the suitcase to her right, then shifted her body to face him. "Need somewhere to stay?"

"Yeah...can't stay at my place. Too many memories."

Lilly nodded understandingly, placing her hand on his back and caressing it softly. "You're welcome to stay as long as you want."

Scotty's head lifted and his eyes caught with hers. "Thanks, Lil."

"Not a problem...now get up! It's freezing out here. I'll make you a coffee."

Lilly stood up and held out her hand for Scotty. She took his suitcase and her briefcase, while he carried the small box. She placed them near her door, and then shrugged out of her coat.

"Make yourself at home; I'll go get those coffees."

As Lilly disappeared, Scotty slouched down on her couch. His thoughts remained of Elisa. He missed her. Their relationship may not have been on the best of terms, but he couldn't help but yearn to be with her.

As much as Scotty liked to deny it, he enjoyed looking after her. Something about being the protective, strong boyfriend appealed to him.

His eyes started to water and he let out a groan. He looked around Lilly's lounge, trying to distract himself. It was quite neat. There weren't many decorations, but it was homey.

Behind him were a few photos, one of two blonde toddlers, and an older woman. Scotty guessed it was of Lilly, her mother, and her sister. The other photo was of Lilly and the team. He recognized the picture immediately. It was his first appearance at 'First Thursdays'.

Scotty shifted his body back to his original position, his face falling to the small table in front of him. A pile of envelopes lay neatly stacked, and a few files were splayed across the rest of the space.

"Here we go."

Scotty lifted his head, taking the hot coffee from Lilly's hands. "Thanks."

She took a seat beside him, reaching for the remote. "Anything you wanna watch?"

Scotty shook his head, watching the swirls in his coffee. Steam hit his face, making his cheeks burn; however, he took no notice.

Lilly frowned as she eyed Scotty, sipping her coffee slowly. "I have a spare bed just around the corner. Already set up. Is that okay with you?"

Scotty nodded, his eyes making no movement.

"Scotty...do you wanna talk?"

Scotty shrugged, taking his first sip out of his mug.

"Have you seen her family?"

"No."

"You think maybe you should?"

"Not yet," his voice was barely above a whisper. Lilly wasn't oblivious to the pain in his voice.

"Okay...well, have you been eating properly?"

"Yes."

"Scotty." Lilly's voice turned stern, but still had a hint of pity in it.

"I eat when I'm hungry."

Lilly shook her head, placing her mug down on the table. "I'll order pizza."

"I'm not hungry."

Lilly chuckled, stubbornness again. "I'll order a few different things; you can choose which appetisers you the most."

Scotty didn't reply, but took another sip of his coffee. She ordered from behind the couch, Scotty listening to her voice as she spoke. So soft, so delicate. He listened carefully as she breathed, spoke, and let out a short laugh.

As his mind began to wonder, Scotty shook his head, finishing the rest of his beverage in one gulp.

Only a few seconds later, Lilly returned to her seat. She turned on the TV, flicking through the small number of channels she had. She ended up settling for a late night movie, and relaxed back into the sofa.

Scotty took no notice of the movie, but listened as he heard small drops of rain start to pour outside.

"Scotty?"

He didn't reply.

"Scotty?" Lilly raised her voice, but only slightly.

Scotty turned his head, staring at her with his full attention.

"Talk to me?"

"'Bout what?"

"Anything. You don't wanna talk about her, I understand. But, if there's anything you want to get of your chest, I'm here."

Scotty let his head fall back and rest on the top of the sofa. "Sorry for showing up on you like this."

"Hey, don't say sorry. I'm your partner, and your friend. You need me, I'll be there."

Lilly rested her hand on his shoulder, smiling down at him. He responded by chuckling and lifting his head.

"You think she's better off up there?" He asked, raising his hand and swirling it around a few times.

"I don't know, Scotty. But, I know everything happens for a reason."

Scotty's head was starting to pain again. He moved his hand to his forehead, rubbing his temple.

"Have you been drinking tonight?" Lilly asked, her hand falling to his knee.

"Only a lil'."

"Well, I suggest you get some sleep then."

Scotty laughed sarcastically, leaning forward and resting his hands on each side of his body. "Yep, that's gonna be easy."

She frowned slightly, standing up and pulling her partner up with her. "You need it, won't hurt to try."

Lilly ushered him over to her spare bed, pulling back the covers as he sat down. He removed his shoes, socks and jacket, and then passed them to her.

Lilly neatly folded the materials and placed them on the bedside table. As she twisted back around, she caught sight of Scotty in his boxers. Her pale cheeks turned a bright red. She turned around quickly, her back facing him.

After taking a deep breath and composing herself, she turned around and faced him. He handed her his sweat pants, then pulled the covers over his lower half.

"What about pizza?"

"Shit!" Lilly laid his trousers down, moving to the end of the bed. "I guess you'll have to stay up for a bit longer."

Scotty smiled, leaning against the headboard.

"Thanks for this."

"Stop thanking me, will you?" Lilly sat down on the edge of the bed, hoping the pizza would arrive soon. "You're going through a hard time. It's best your with someone then be alone."

Before Scotty could respond, there was a loud knock on the door. Lilly smiled, mouthing pizza and running off.

Scotty closed his eyes quickly, doing his best to not think of Elisa. Soon enough, Lilly was back.

She placed 4 different pizza boxes on the bed in front of Scotty, then sat at the opposite end. "Dig in."

Scotty shook his head as he laughed, opening up a random lid.

"Yum," she mumbled, winking at him.

Less than an hour later, two of the boxes had been demolished, while Scotty finished off the third.

"You must have been hungry." Lilly shouted, sliding the remaining pizza into the fridge.

"Guess so."

Lilly lingered in the doorway, smiling down at her partner. "You gonna be okay for tonight?"

"Yep."

"You sure?"

Scotty lowered himself to the bed, lying down on the pillow and crawling under the covers. "I'll call you if I need anything."

Lilly smiled approvingly, running a hand through her hair. "Night Scotty."

"Good night Lil."

* * *

**Should I continue, or not? Let me know in a review ;)**


	2. Breakdown

**Chapter 2: Breakdown**

**Author's Note: **Eh, I'm not happy with this chapter. I've changed it so many times. It's seems to me I always start off okay, and then go downhill. So I'm thinking of writing some one-shots.

* * *

Lilly awoke the next morning, her alarm clock ringing in her ears. She groaned, reaching over to turn it off. She sat up slowly, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

_Scotty._

Instantly, she jumped out bed, straightening up her boxer shorts and tank top. She shivered, the cold spreading through her bones.

As Lilly made her way downstairs, Scotty heard the footsteps. He looked up from the sofa, watching as she made her way to him.

"You awake already?"

Scotty shrugged, lowering his head.

"Didn't sleep?"

"Nah." He wasn't able to sleep that night, each time he drifted into the darkness, he awoke, Elisa on his lips as he took in his surroundings. It had been the same for the last few weeks. He dreamed of her each night, watching as she stood on the edge off the bridge, taking the last step.

"What happened to yelling out?"

"Don' know."

Lilly smiled, shaking her head. "Alright, well I'm gonna go have a shower and get ready for work. You need anything?"

"No."

_So stubborn. _Lilly travelled off reluctantly, stopping halfway up the stairs, wondering whether to turn back and talk to him. She ended up disregarding her idea, skipping a few of the stairs as she raced to the shower.

An hour later, Lilly was standing in her kitchen, pouring herself a steaming cup of coffee.

"Need help?"

Lilly turned around, facing her tired partner. "Nope."

Scotty lent his forehead against her fridge, rolling his eyes.

"You alright?"

"I don' know."

"You gonna be okay by yourself today?"

"Yeah."

Lilly shifted her weight to her side, sighing. "Scotty, you know, it ain't helping when you use one word answers."

Scotty lifted his head, turning his body around to face her. "Sorry. Just ain't in the best mood to talk today."

Lilly nodded understandingly, placing her hand on his shoulder. "How about I come home early today, bring some take out?"

"Sure."

"Anything you need?"

"Nah, I'll be okay."

Lilly swallowed the rest of her coffee, dropping the mug into the sink. "Well, I'm off, I'll see you tonight."

As she turned to leave, Scotty reached out for her hand, grasping it and pulling her closer.

Lilly gasped in shock, her eyes widening in confusion as his head sunk into the crook of her neck.

"I miss her Lil."

Scotty's hands were tightly wrapped around her waist and Lilly found herself unable to move. She hesitated, before slowly placing her hands on his back. She patted his back slowly, before rubbing slow circles into his skin.

"I know."

Lilly felt her shoulder start to dampen, realising he was now crying. He sobbed harder, his fingers digging into her skin.

Scotty knees started to go weak. Lilly tightened her grip, doing her best to keep him from falling. She failed.

He gently slid to the ground, Lilly falling down with him. As Lilly's hand moved to his head, he slid down further, lying on cold tiles and his head falling to her lap.

Lilly sighed. _What do I do? _She smoothed back his hair, unaware of what to do next. She'd never had someone break down with her, let alone have someone cry on her shoulder.

Scotty was going through a rough time, having lost his girlfriend, but Lilly was unsure whether she was the right one to turn too. It just wasn't her.

"Scotty," she whispered. _God, what do I do? _She was never the emotional type, nor one to express feelings with others.

Scotty continued to sob, his hands gripping her thigh.

They stayed like that for an hour, until Scotty finally fell asleep. Lilly reached into her pocket, groaning softly when she realised her cell was not there.

"Scotty," she whispered softly.

No response.

"Scotty," she slightly shook his shoulder, waking him from his deep sleep.

"Mm?"

"I'm late for work."

Lilly hated waking him, knowing sleep was the best for him. However, Lilly was never late for work, and she didn't want to miss a day.

"Lil." He lifted his head slightly, trying to lift himself up.

Lilly placed her hands on his shoulders, helping him ease back. "Sorry."

"Nah...I'm sorry."

Lilly lifted her hand to his cheek, regretting it almost immediately. She dropped her hand back to her lap quickly, blushing scarlet.

"Don't be sorry. You needed it."

Scotty rested his head against the wood behind him, rubbing his forehead. "Sorry for fallin' asleep on you."

Lilly chuckled, slowly standing up. "I said don't be sorry."

He looked up, watching as she straightened her clothes. " You goin'?"

"Yeah, I'm late."

"Okay."

Lilly smiled sadly down at him. "There's left over pizza in the fridge, and some soda. It'll last you to tonight."

Scotty nodded, watching as she turned to leave. "See ya, Lil."

"Bye Scotty!"

* * *

Nick arched his eyebrows, watching as Lilly casually strolled into the department.

She flopped down into her desk, moaning softly as she took a sip of coffee she had just brought.

"You're late."

Lilly lifted her eyes, gazing over as Will and Stillman watched her carefully.

"And?"

"You're never late."

Lilly laughed, taking the folder out of Nick's hand. "Big deal."

Stillman eyed her, leaning over Nick's desk. "Moving on. New case."

Lilly smirked greedily at Nick, playfully winking at him. "Who?"

"17 year old girl found dead in her backyard."

Lilly winced, shuttering as she closed her eyes. "Evidence?"

"There wasn't any. However, her boyfriend at the time showed up, saying he found something."

Lilly scanned through the file in her hand, frowning slightly at the crime scene photos. "Found what?"

"A note. Only found it a few days ago when he was going through the boxes he had of her items."

"Still has her stuff?" Nick asked, feeling sickened.

"Looks like he never got over her. What did the note say," she asked, tossing the file down onto her desk.

Stillman handed Lilly the note, Nick leaning over to read along.

_**Robbie, **_

_**We need to talk. It's important. Something happened. I'll explain everything tomorrow. But I can't stay at home tonight, it's not safe. So I'm going to Dad's. Keep safe. I love you. **_

_**Claudia.**_

Lilly twitched her nose, handing her boss the note. "We'll go see the Dad?"

"No need. We brought him in."

Lilly stood up, heading over to the interrogation room with Nick, but Stillman stopped her.

"My office."

She walked off in confusion, John motioning for Will to go with Nick.

As the blond detective stepped into the office, she took a seat, pushing her hair back behind her ears.

"What's going on?"

Stillman asked, sitting in front of her.

"Nothing."

"Lilly, I know you well. Not once have you been late since we started working together."

"It's nothing, really. I'm fine."

Stillman took off his glasses, placing his hands down on his desk. "If you're fine, who's not?"

_Why is he so observant? _"Scotty."

Stillman sighed, shaking his head and leaning back in his leather chair. "What happened?"

"He shows up on my doorstep, said he needed a place to stay."

"You looking after him?"

"I'm trying...although I don't think I'm best person for that job."

Stillman smiled broadly, seeing a flash of a younger Lilly. "You are, we both know it."

"I don't know...he broke down with me this morning...I didn't know what to do."

"Was that the reason you were late?"

"Yes."

Stillman glanced down at his desk, and then moved his eyes back to his detective. "You need some time off?"

"No!" Even though Scotty was going through a rough time, Lilly was determined not to let it interfere with her job.

"Okay...well, what do you think is best for him?"

"To be honest, I don't know. He doesn't want to see anyone and I can understand that."

"Grieving period?"

Lilly nodded her head, her eyes fluttering shut. It was at that moment when she realised how tired she was. "I say give it a few more days. He made progress today that many people don't in a lifetime. At least he talked to me."

Stillman agreed with her quickly, then stood up. "Get back to work. I want this case over and done as soon as possible."

* * *

Lilly felt the day go slowly, never having been so worried in her life. She looked up at the clock every 10 minutes, hoping the time would pass quickly and she could head home.

She wasn't sure what was going on with her body or emotions, but she wanted to be there for Scotty. They had grown close over the short period they had known each other, and she couldn't imagine letting her partner go through this alone.

Sure, maybe there were other reasons. Like the fact that she had not once stopped imagining what it would be like to kiss his lips, or lie in bed with him, just close to him. She was attracted to him. Let's face it, how couldn't she be?

Lilly wasn't sure if she was making it up in her creative head, but she was sure they constantly flirted. Maybe Lilly had been with Kite, and Scotty with Elisa, but there was definitely an attraction between the two detective.

However, things had changed now. Now that Elisa was dead, everything steered into a new direction. Scotty was grieving for her, and he loved her. Lilly would never interfere with that, especially seeing now she was gone. She needed to let him recover, she told herself. Forget the flirting. Forget his lips...and his body. Forget everything. It would never work out.

Besides, Lilly would **never **risk her job over something that may not ever work out.

Lilly looked up at the clock again, exhaling a breath when the clock only read 12:30. _Hey, that's lunch!_

She stood up quickly, grabbing a hold of her coat. She almost ran to Stillman's office, poking her head through the door. "I'm taking my lunch break."

John had no time to reply, because she was already skipping off down the stairs of the building.

As she hurried to her car, she pulled out her cell. She scrolled threw her contact listen, scrunching her nose when she saw Scotty come as the 5th number in her contact list.

_I thought I had more friends than that..._

Lilly went to push dial, but she quickly shut down her phone. _Don't call him. Just go home. _

The blonde was cautious, wondering if she was not giving Scotty enough space to recover . Of course, she wanted to check up on him, make sure he was doing okay, being alone in her house. He wasn't familiar with her house. Could she trust him to be alone with what he was going through? Yet, she could wait until after work..._No. It'll just be for five minutes._

She pulled up in front of her house, locking her car up, then made her way inside. As she scanned the room, she noticed Scotty sitting on the wood in front of her window. His eyes were open as he stared through the curtains.

"Hi."

It took him a few seconds to respond, but he eventually did. "Hi."

"You doin' okay?"

"Yes."

Lilly bit her bottom lip, the awkward silence starting to annoy her. "I know I said I'd come home after work and all, but I just wanted to see how you are. Just to, you know..."

Scotty chuckled, turning his head to look at her for the first time since she arrived back home.

"I'm fine."

"Sure?"

"Yes, Lil."

Dry tears were stained on his face, and his hands were almost shaking.

"If you wanna talk you know, you can..."

Scotty lent his head back against the wall, pulling his legs up. "Shouldn't you be gettin' back to work?"

_Shit. _"I will. Just makin' sure-"

"I'm okay."

"Yeah, that." Lilly felt a blush starting to come on, feeling her neck starting to hear. "Well I'm off, see ya."

"Lil?"

"Yes."

She stopped at her door, Scotty out of sight. "Maybe when you get home, we can talk then."

Lilly smiled eagerly, leaning over to pat him on the shoulder. She took her hand away a few seconds later, wondering why she stupidly did such a thing. _Patting him on the shoulder? What the hell Rush? What has he done to be congratulated with?_

"I'll see ya later okay?"

"Bye," he whispered, looking back to the window.

As she closed the door behind her, and made her way outside, she bit her tongue, cursing herself. Why couldn't she have just waited?

Scotty watched as she walked through the cold, her hands tightening around her coat. She slipped into the car smoothly, driving off. Scotty let a smile slip onto his face as he took in her beauty. _God, she's beautiful. Why doesn't she see that? _


	3. Free Falling

**Chapter 3: Free Falling**

**Author's Note: I'm not very religious, so I may have made a few mistakes with the religious part below. If so, sorry. I only wrote the best to my knowledge.**

**

* * *

**

The rest of the day continued to drag on for Lilly. She had a hard time working, constantly worrying about Scotty. She felt as though she was worrying too much, hoping Scotty would be fine.

It was only for a few more hours, he'd be fine. And after all, it was Friday. She could spend more time with him during the weekend.

The day was coming to an end, the team collecting their belongings and heading home.

"Lilly."

The blonde picked up her briefcase, hanging it over her shoulder. "Yes?"

Stillman slid on his coat, moving over to her. "Look after Scotty."

"I'll do my best."

Lilly made her way out of the building, Stillman beside her.

"How are you doing?" Stillman asked as they made it into the cold.

Lilly shivered as the cold breeze hit her face. She ducked her head, her eyes closing tightly. "I'm great."

"You sure? It must be hard having Scotty around."

Lilly blinked in confusion, staring at the older man. "What?"

"Well, he's grieving. You're not used to that...having him being so down, it can't be easy on you."

Lilly shrugged, her hands sliding into the pockets of her coat. "I need to be there for him."

"If it's too much, you know you don't have too."

"I want too," she whispered, so faint John almost thought he had imagined it.

They reached her car, Lilly throwing her briefcase onto the passenger seat, then turned to her boss. "Really, I'm fine."

"Have a good night Lilly," he called, walking off into the dark.

* * *

When Lilly arrived home, Scotty was sitting on her couch, watching TV. She sat her things down on the counter to her left, then took a seat beside him.

"How was work?" He asked hoarsely, staring at the television screen.

"The usual."

Scotty handed her the remote, then stood up. "You mind if I have a shower?"

Lilly shook her head, flicking through the channels. She watched as Scotty thumped around the stairs, his footsteps thudding loudly.

She settled back into the couch, sighing as kicked off her shoes. Her eyes were stinging, beginning to shut ever so slowly.

Lilly's eyes shot open, her back straightening. She tried to keep herself awake, but she soon failed.

Scotty returned downstairs to find Lilly peacefully asleep on the couch. He smiled softly, laying a blanket over her curled up figure. A cat lay at her feet, staring up at Scotty as she took a seat near the window.

There was a something about the window that Scotty enjoyed. He sat down, eying the night sky.

His head turned, watching Lilly. Why did she have to be so beautiful?

He rested his head against the solid behind him, closing his eyes. When he closed his eyes, memories flooded back into his head. The younger years of him and Elisa. Proposing to Elisa. Visiting her in the hospital. Everything was fresh in his mind. Lastly, Lilly flooded into his mind. Meeting her for the first time, shaking her hand, his eyes scanning her attractive body and looking into her eyes as she spoke to him.

Lilly?

His eyes instantly opened, widening at his thoughts. Yet again, he turned to Lilly, watching her sleep. This time, he was unable to look away. There was something beautiful about watching her sleep, he couldn't explain it, it was just simply breathtaking.

* * *

That night, Scotty got no sleep. Instead, he sat near the window, watching Lilly sleep. She stirred many times, whispered a few times and snored lightly.

He found it cute, and much more entertaining than sitting there in silence with his thoughts.

It wasn't until Lilly's eyes slowly opened did Scotty finally realise how long he had been watching her.

She tightened her grip on the blanket, stretching out her legs. The cat jumped down onto the floor, Lilly's sleepy eyes fluttering open.

"Sorry Liv," she whispered, reaching down to pat the cat as it moved along the couch.

A small chuckled filled the room and Lilly's head twisted. She caught Scotty's eyes with her, her eyebrow rising.

"Good morning to you too."

He rolled his eyes, staring out the window.

"Sleep well?" She asked, sitting up and pulling her legs to her chest.

"Yes."

Lilly didn't miss the dark circled under his eyes or the fact that he was still in the same clothes as the night before. "Did you sleep at all?"

Scotty shrugged his shoulders, turning to his partner.

Lilly sighed, frowning sadly. "Sorry."

"Don't be."

A few minutes of silence overtook them, Lilly wondering what to say next.

"I was thinking...of going to church today."

Lilly was quite shocked, but realised Scotty was clearly religious. "That's nice."

"Can you come with me?"

Lilly's breathe caught in her throat. She was never religious. She lost faith in God very early in her childhood. If there was such a thing as God, why did he supply her with such a horrible life?

"I'm not, uh, you know...religious."

"You don' have to do anythin'...just come wit' me. I don' wanna go alone."

Lilly bit her lip. She wanted to go, to support him, but going to church was something she had never wanted to do. "Okay," she whispered after hesitating.

Scotty slipped out a small smiled, thanking her.

"Are any of her relatives going to be there?"

"No. Just me. I just...felt like goin'."

"Okay. When do you want to go?" Lilly asked, reaching over to pat the top of Olivia's head.

"Soon."

Lilly nodded, standing up. She folded the blanket, then lay it over the back of her couch. "Alright. Well I'll go get ready then."

Scotty manoeuvred his legs, swinging them over the ledge of the seat he was sitting on. "I need a shower."

"Again?"

"Yes."

She reached out for his hand, then gradually led him up the stairs. After showing him into the bathroom, in case he forgot, she travelled off to her bedroom, attempting to find something suitable to wear to church.

Shortly later, Lilly settled for a pair of blank pants she hadn't worn in a long time, and a dark blue sweater. She reached for coat, slipping it onto her shoulders.

As she stared at herself in the mirror, she ran her hands through her short layered hair. After hesitating, she combed through the soft locks, then let lay on her shoulders.

Lilly applied a small amount of mascara, then added a touch of lip gloss.

She looked at herself in the mirror, quite satisfied. She didn't look bad at all.

After slipping on her shoes, she casually strolled down stairs, noticing the water wasn't running. As she neared the bottom, her eyes caught sight of Scotty. His suitcase was on top of the spare bed and he was roaming through it.

He only wore a towel around his waist, giving Lilly a nice view of his back muscles. She couldn't look way, too enticed by his body. She forced herself too look away, moving into the lounge.

Before long, Scotty was all set to go too. He lingered in the living room doorway, sceptical of how to start a conversation.

Finally, Lilly stood up. "I think it's best if I drive."

"Okay."

Lilly swiftly snatched her bag and keys, then followed Scotty out.

"I'll give you directions," he whispered as he slid into her car.

"Is there a particular one you want to go too?"

"Yes."

When Scotty didn't elaborate more, she took the cue to drop the question.

During the car ride, an awful silence was filling the air. Lilly clutched the steering wheel, keeping a good eye on the road.

"We used to go there," his voice was soft and filled with pain.

"Where?"

"The church...Elisa and I...when she was sick. We'd go there every week, and just pray she'd be okay."

Tears were filling his eyes and Lilly found it hard to hold back her own.

"That's a nice idea. To have some sort of hope to hold onto."

"I thought she'd get better, you know? But she didn't...when I thought she was gettin' better, she just got worse."

Lilly shifted uncomfortably, believing her words were making it worse. "I can't begin to understand what you're going through Scotty, but you have people here. People that care for you. We'll be there for you."

She was shocked when she felt something warm wrap around her hand. Her head curved, observing as Scotty's hand tightened around hers. He slightly began to move, his head coming down to rest on her shoulder.

_Oh God. _It was quite awkward to drive when he was resting on her, but Lilly dealt with it for Scotty's sake.

They arrived at the church, Lilly helping Scotty out of the car. He walked leisurely, Lilly beside him.

When they walked through the doors, Lilly looked around. It looked fairly normal. A few pictures of God, Jesus, and a few others on the windows. There were many seats, Scotty strolling down the middle.

He seated at one at the very front. Lilly cursed inside, hoping they would have been able to sit at the back.

When she sat beside him, she couldn't help but stare at him. His eyes were closed, his head bowed.

In respect, Lilly leaned back against the seats, bowing her head too.

"Scotty!"

Her head shot up, eyeing the man who had just yelled out her partner's name.

Scotty stood up, the two men exchanging a small hug.

"How you been?"

"Good." Scotty replied, smiling slightly.

"And since..."

"Good."

"Ah, Scotty. I'm a priest. You can't lie to me!"

He chuckled softly, pouting his lips. "Maybe not so good, but I'm getting there."

"Church is a good start!"

"I know...I just wanted to come, and you know, remember back."

The older man nodded, upon gazing at Lilly. "And who is this lovely lady?"

"She's my partner...work partner."

"Oh, I see."

The priest shook Lilly's hand, smiling affectionately at her. "Look after my boy here, he's had it rough."

"I'm doing my best."

Scotty stared at the ground, unsure of where to go next.

"Well, my boy, I'll leave you to it. Don't leave it so long! Visit again!"

Scotty nodded, again hugging the man. "Thank you father."

Lilly felt her eyes start to widen, but she quickly cleared her throat to push away any confusion that rose.

"He ain't my father...but that's what we call him."

"I know, I know. It's just...weird."

Scotty laughed aloud, sitting back down. "Do you mind, if I just here for a while?"

"Not at all." Lilly was about to leave, to give Scotty some time alone, but Scotty's strong hand pulled at her wris,t seating her back down.

"Don't go, please stay."

Lilly nodded, holding onto his hands. She leaned back, closing her eyes as Scotty did the same.


End file.
